Dispensing machine



June 23, 1936. D SMlTH DISPENSING MACHINE Filed Feb. 27, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 E R U 6 57 65 HQ 3 2 lo v 2 w 2 2 w 0 /0 4 e o a z l y n L l 3 y H 4 0 IN V EN TOR. D/I/y/QA. 3/14/77! 6M ATTORNEY 4 5% 57 l ow Q 193% D. L. SMITH DISPENSING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 Filed Feb. 27, 1955 INVENTOR. DAN/EL L. my ATTORNEY Patented June 23, 1936 UNITED STATE. PATENT OFFICE DISPENSING MACHINE Daniel Lesesne Smith, San Francisco, Calif.

Application February 27, 1933, Serial No. 658,829

3 Claims. (01. 312-64) The invention relates to machines for dispensing small articles of merchandise and to those particularly adapted to dispense sugar lumps.

Machines of the above character are designed generally with a discharge chute and operating lever or similar means, and appropriate mechanism actuated by such lever effecting the ejection of a lump of sugar from the chute. Since logically the operating lever and ejecting means are connected to and are disposed at opposite sides of the intervening mechanism, it is convenient, from a designing standpoint, to position these members at extreme opposite ends of the machine. This arrangement, however, makes for awkwardness in the use of the machine, for while the actuation of the lever and the ejection of the sugar are normally effected substantially simultaneously, the lever and discharge portion of the machine are, due to their remoteness, only simultaneously accessible when two hands are used. It is therefore one of the principal objects of the invention to provide a machine having an operating mechanism permitting of the positioning of the operating and ejecting means in close cooperating proximity and in a manner disposing these means simultaneously accessible with but a single hand.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described wherein the lumps of sugar during their passage through the machine will be subject to a minimum rubbing and abrasive action.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described which is so designed as to afford a ready and easy ejection of a lump of sugar with a minimum effort expended on the part of the operator.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the show ing made by the said drawings and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the sugar dispenser with the various parts thereof in normal position.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the operating parts at the instant of ejection of a sugar lump.

Figure 3 is a sectional View of the mechanism disclosed in Figures 1 and 2 showing the ejector member in its movement from an extended ejecting position to normal position.

Figure 4 is a plan sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is aside elevation of the machine with the casing and a portion of the magazine broken away and showing the position of the operating mechanism after the last lump of sugar in a compartment of the magazine has been ejected.

Figure 6 is a plan sectional view taken substantially on line 65 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary front elevation of the machine with a portion of the casing broken away to show one of the operating parts.

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary View of the front portion of the ejector member.

With reference to the drawings, the machine is designed for dispensing sugar in cube or lump form, but it will be obvious that articles of other nature and form may be used in the machine. The machine comprises a casing ll having centrally disposed therein a vertical shaft I 2, the lower end of which is secured to the base plate l3 of the casing. while theupper end of the shaft is releasably secured to a cover plate I6 removably positioned over the top of the casing. Preferably the casing is formed of upper and lower sections l1 and N3, the upper section I! being of a transparent material such as glass whereas thelower section I8 is of metal and is designed to support the other section.

Mounted for rotationabout the shaft l2, such as by means of a pair of upper and lower end plates 2| and 22 which have a ball-bearing support against endwise displacement on the shaft, is a magazine 23 designed to hold the lumps of sugar or other articles which the machine is to dispense. The magazine comprises a cylindrical member 26 having secured to the periphery thereof a plurality of vertically extending circumferentially spaced partitions 21. By means of this arrangement there is formed between each adjacent pair of partitions, and between the member 26 and the glass casing IT, a compartment 28. Desirably the spacing between the partitions and the member and casing is such as to provide ample space for the lumps without the latter coming in contact with the relatively movable casing thereby eliminating possible rubbing between the lumps and the casing. Also as will be clear the compartments open to the glass casing and are therefore readily visible from the exterior of the machine, thus making determinable at a glance the quantity of sugar in the machine.

Support for the lumps in the compartments is preferably provided by means of a stationary annular plate 3| disposed in spaced relation to and adjacent the lower end of the compartments. As a novel feature of design the plate 3| may as here shown be fashioned integrally with and as an end of the lower section N3 of the casing. Also to reduce the friction between the sliding columns of lumps and the stationary plate, a pair of circumferential ridges 32 are desirably provided on the upper surface of the plate to support the lumps.

Formed in the casing wall opposite the portion of the magazine in which the lowermost lump in each compartment is arranged to be contained, is an opening 33 through which the sugar lumps are dispensed from the machine. Means are provided for causing the lump of sugar opposite this opening to be ejected from the compartment and into the opening. The ejection of lumps from the compartments in this manner is facilitated by extending the partitions 21 below the lower end of the member 26 to thereby provide access to the lumps at the rear side thereof disposed opposite to the discharge opening. Positioned intermediate the lower end of the member 26 and the bottom plate 3| of the compartments, and slidably mounted for horizontal movement as on a bracket 36 secured to the shaft I2, is an ejector member 31. As here shown this member is mounted in alignment with the discharge opening substantially on a diameter of the cylindrical member 26 and due to its position aforesaid is arranged on displacement toward the discharge opening to engage the rear side of the lowermost lump in a compartment and eject the lump into the discharge opening.

Means for so moving the ejector member is here shown in the form of an actuating member 38 positioned directly below and substantially parallel to the ejector member. Support for the actuating member permitting movement thereof horizontally to and from the discharge opening may be provided by means of slidable connection to the shaft I2 and to a support 4| on the base plate I 3. Preferably the sides of the member 38 about the forward end thereof are formed to provide a concavity 42 opening to the discharge opening of the casing and of a contour conforming, as may be noted in Figure 2, to the bowl of a teaspoon 43. Connection between the member 38 and the ejector member is here provided by a lever 46 pivoted intermediate its ends to an arm 41 on the shaft I2 and slidably and pivotally secured at its ends to the actuating and ejector members. By means of this connection it will be clear that inward movement of the member 38 will cause a corresponding outward or ejecting movement of the member 31. Preferably the outer end of the member 38 is disposed in the normal position of the member to extend substantially to the edge of the casing and is readily accessible through the discharge opening of the casing. Inward movement of'the member 38 is desirably effected as here shown by means of a spoon but it will be of course clear that other means such as the hand or sugar tongs may be used. Retraction of the member 38 to a normal position and the rearward withdrawal of the ejector member from one of the compartments may be effected by means of a spring 5| secured as here shown between the base I3 of the casing and the member 38.

An important feature of the invention is the arrangement of relative movement between the members 31 and 38 disposing the outer ends of the members in substantial vertical alignment at the time of ejection of a sugar lump. By means of this construction the lump on eviction will fall onto the concavity 42 or, as here shown in Figure 2, onto the spoon 43, thereby permitting the ejection and receiving of a lump with the use of but one hand.

Secured to the forward end of the ejecting member 31 is a resiliently mounted face plate 52 which serves to contact and evict a lump of sugar from the magazine. With reference to the drawings it will be noted that the plate 52 is provided with an overlying horizontally disposed separating member 53. This member is arranged to be projected with the plate into a compartment and is designed to enter between the bottom lump and the one thereover and thereby hold the latter, as well as the lumps supported thereon, free and clear of the bottom lump. In this way no rubbing of the lump being ejected and the one thereabove can take place.

With the ejecting member normally disposed, the plate 52 serves an additional function of contacting one of the partitions 21 and thereby stopping a rotational movement of the magazine. With reference to Figures 4 and 8 it will be noted that the plate 52 in one position-which may be conveniently termed its normal-i.s obliquely disposed to the length of the ejector member with an end 34 thereof extended into opposed relation with one of the partitions while the remainder of the forward surface of the plate is retracted to a point within the inner circumference of the partitions. Preferably, as aforesaid, the plate is resiliently mounted on the end of the ejector member and may as here shown be extended through the end of the ejector member and yieldably held in angular relation thereto by means of a spring 56 secured to the plate and ejector member. While rotation of the magazine in one direction is in this manner stopped by the end 5 5, it will be clear that on rotation of the magazine in the opposite direction the rearwardly extending edges of the partitions will engage the angularly disposed face of the plate and deflect the latter against the urge of the spring 56 out of the path of travel of the partitions. In the present embodiment of the invention, rotation of the magazine is in this fashion permitted when the rotation is in a clockwise direction but is stopped when in a counterclockwise direction.

Means are arranged to prevent the actuator and ejecting members, under the urge of the spring 5|, from assuming other than the above mentioned normal position so as to hold the magazine against rotation as long as there are lumps remaining in a compartment after the ejection of a lump from the compartment, but to permit a further retraction of the ejecting member from one of the compartments upon ejection of the last lump in such compartment to thereby allow rotation of the magazine and to position the lumps in an adjacent compartment in alignment with the discharge opening for ejection. This means is here shown as comprising a lever 5'! pivotally carried by the outer end of the actuating member and having a portion 58 thereof disposed within an opening 6| provided in the annular supporting plate 3!. With reference to Figures 4 and. 6 of the drawings, the opening 5| is disposed adjacent the discharge opening in the casing and is of a size approximating the width of a compartment. By means of this construction the weight of a column of lumps, contained in a compartment rotated into position for ejection of the lumps, is shifted from the supporting plate 3| onto the lever portion 58. Under the action of this weight, the lever 51 is swung about its connection with the actuator member to position an offset portion 60, located at the opposite end 59 of the lever, adjacent the under side of the ejector member. Preferably provided on such under side of the ejector member is a cooperating offset portion 62 which on retraction of the ejector member is disposed to engage the portion 60 to thereby limit the retraction movement of the member. This posi tion of the ejector and actuating members has been previously referred to as the normal position of such members.

Preferably the inwardly extending end 59 of the lever is provided with a weighted portion 63 which urges, upon the ejection of a lump from the portion 58, a lowering of the end 59 of the lever and disalignment of the stop portions and 62. With reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3, on the ejection of a lump from a compartment, the ejector member is moved forward to engage the rear side of the lowermost lump and as it does so rides over a raised portion 65 provided adjacent the forward end of the lever. With the lever and ejector member thus engaged, it will be clear that even with the lump remaining in the compartment supported by the ejector member and not resting on the portion 58 of the lever, movement of the lever under the action of the weight 63 to disalign the stops BI and 62 is prevented. As the ejector member retracts from an ejecting position, the lumps supported by the ejector member are released and permitted to fall onto the lever portion 58 prior to disengagement of the ejector member and the raised lever portion 65. In this manner retraction of the ejector member from a normal position, and rotation of the magazine, is prevented so long as there are lumps remaining in a com partment after a lump has been ejected. It will therefore be clear that as long as there are lumps remaining in a compartment, the ejection of these lumps is effected one after another until all the lumps in the compartment are discharged. When, however, the last lump is ejected from a compartment, the ejector member on retraction from ejecting position moves ofi the raised portion 65 to permit upward movement of the forward end of the lever and disalignment of the stops fill and 62. Under the action of spring 5|, the ejector member is then quickly retracted from a normal position to a position in which the forward end of the member is disengaged from the magazine and thereby permitting rotation of the latter. It will be noted that the ejector member on retraction from an extended position moves off the raised portion 65 and moves to place the stop portion 62 thereof behind the stop at on the lever prior to the disengagement of the ejector member and magazine. By means of this arrangement the movement of an adjacent compartment over the lever, as shown in Figure 5, to cause a depressing of the lever and alignment of the stops 60 and 62, will occur after such stops are disposed on opposite sides of each other and therefore ineffectual to stop retraction of the ejector member from the aforesaid normal position. A suitable stop defining the amount of further retraction of the ejector member from normal position may be provided as here shown by limiting the sliding capacity of the mountings for the ejector and actuator members. This further retraction is, as indicated in Figure 6, such as to completely removethe end 52 of the ejector member from a compartment aligned with the discharge opening and dispose the opposite end 64 of the ejector member within a diametrically opposed compartment. The disposition of the end 64 within a compartment serves, as does the end 52, to engage one of the portions of the compartment to prevent rotation of the magazine. The relative dlametrical relation of the ends 52 and 64 provides an effective escapement means for the magazine, permitting the latter to rotate the distance of but one compartment incident to the release of the ejector member by the lever 51. It will be evident that on retraction of the end 52 from engagement with one of the partitions the magazine is permitted to rotate approximately half the width of a compartment before being checked by the end 64. Thereupon on moving the actuator member inwardly to procure a lump of sugar, the end 64 is moved from engagement with the magazine and the forward end 52 is moved to engage the partition adjacent the partition engaged by the end prior to rotation of the magazine.

Of importance to the aforesaid escapement movement is the positioning of the lever 51. On the ejection of the lastlump of sugar from a compartment, the supporting portion 58 of this lever is as shown in Figure 7 lifted upwardly from the plane of the supporting plate 3i and above the lower ends of the compartment partltions. To allow movement of the partitions over the supporting portion 58, the side edges 65 of the portion 58 are beveled downwardly from the plane of the portion so that their lower extremities will lie substantially coterminous with the plane of the fixed supporting plate 3|. Thus on rotation of the magazine the lower edges of the partitions engage the beveled edges 65 to depress the lever to a normal lump supporting position. It will now be clear that with the magazine rotated the distance of half a compartment such as when held in this position by the retracted end 64 of the ejector member, the end portion SI of the lever, due to the location of a partition over the lever, will be lifted adjacent the under side of the ejector member. This positioning of the lever and ejector members disposes, as aforementioned, the engaging stop portions carried by these members in alignment but with the one at the rear of instead of at the front of the other. On advancement of the ejector member from this position, such as caused on the subsequent movement of the actuator member, the opposed stop portions must move over each other before an ejection of a lump may be effected. To facilitate this movement, the rear sides 66 and 6'! of the stop portions are preferably inclined and the lever is desirably formed of a spring material so as to afford ready movement of such inclined sides over each other.

In Figure 1, means are disclosed for rotating the magazine, and comprise as here shown a clock spring 68 which is mounted within the confines of the upper end plate 2! of the magazine and about a hub H fixed to the shaft l2. Preferably the inner and outer ends of the spring are secured to the hub and end plate respectively while the coils of the spring are wound to resist clockwise rotation of the magazine. To facilitate the winding of the spring the upper side of the cylindrical member 26 is extended above the top of the partitions 21 and is provided with a knurled peripheral surface 12 for ready grasping.

A cover plate I6 is desirably mounted over the top of the casing and may as here shown be secured in place by means of a machine screw 14 threadably engaged in the upper end of the shaft 12.

I claim:

1. In a machine for dispensing sugar lumps, a casing having a discharge outlet, a magazine rotatably mounted in said casing and provided with a plurality of compartments each arranged to support a plurality of lumps, delivery mechanism including an ejector member movable in one of said compartments and operable to eject one after another of the lumps from the compartment through said discharge outlet and engaging a side of said compartment to prevent rotation of said magazine, and means operable upon the ejection of the last lump from said compartment to cause the withdrawal of said ejector member therefrom to permit rotation of said magazine to position another of said compartments adjacent said ejector member.

2. In a machine for dispensing sugar lumps, a casing having a discharge opening, a vertically extending shaft mounted centrally within said casing, a cylindrical member mounted for rotation about said shaft, a plurality of vertically extending partitions secured to the periphery of said member in circumferential spaced relation and providing therebetween a plurality of compartments for stacks of sugar lumps, said partitions extending from the lower end of said member, a horizontally disposed annular plate supported by said casing adjacent the lower ends of said partitions and slidably supporting the stacks of lumps, said plate having an opening adjacent said discharge opening to provide for the passage through the plate of a sugar lump, a horizontally movable ejector member mounted intermediate said plate and the lower end of said cylindrical member and disposed substantially in alignment with said plate and easing openings, a horizontally movable actuator member mounted within said discharge opening, means connecting said ejector and actuator member providing upon movement of said actuator member a movement of said ejector member to eject a sugar lump through said discharge opening.

3. In a machine for dispensing sugar lumps, a casing having a discharge opening, a vertically extending shaft mounted centrally within said casing, a cylindrical member mounted for rotation about said shaft, a plurality of vertically extending partitions secured to the periphery of said member in circumferential spaced relation and providing therebetween a plurality of compartments for stacks of sugar lumps, said partitions extending from the lower end of said member, a horizontally disposed annular plate supported by said casing adjacent the lower ends of said partitions and slidably supporting the stacks of lumps, said plate having an opening adjacent said discharge opening to provide for the passage through the plate of a sugar lump, a horizontally movable ejector member mounted intermediate said plate and the lower end of said cylindrical member and disposed substantially in alignment with said plate and easing openings, a horizontally movable actuator member mounted within said discharge opening, means connecting said ejector and actuator member providing upon movement of said actuator member a movement of said ejector member to eject a sugar lump through said discharge opening, means adjacent one end of said ejector member for engaging one of said partitions to retain said cylindrical member against rotation, a member mounted within said plate opening for supporting a stack of lumps and engaging and retaining said ejector member with said last means in engagement with said partition and being arranged incident to the ejection of the last lump from a compartment to disengage said ejector member thereby causing disengagement of said last named means and said partition to permit rotation of said cylindrical member, and an end of said actuator member being disposed upon disengagement of said last named means to engage another of said partitions to stop rotation of said cylindrical member after the latter has rotated a circumferential distance approximately equal to the width of a compartment.

DANIEL LESESNE SMITH. 

